Fan speed control used in induction cooking apparatus
OwnerRonald J. Cunninghaminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooking apparatus employing induction heating is normally constructed so as to utilize a metal housing supporting a cook top upon which there is located at least one induction heating coil. The housing normally contains an electronic "package" for use in supplying power to the coil or coils used and a fan for circulating air through the housing so as to maintain the temperature of the electronic components employed sufficiently low that they will not be damaged by heat. In the disclosed apparatus a thermistor is mounted on the housing adjacent to the wires connecting the electronic components to the heating coil or coils used. This thermistor is used to control the flow of current through an SCR or a triac acting as a switch in a circuit containing the fan motor.
Claims8
In a heating apparatus employing a plurality of induction heating elements, electronic means for controlling the operation of said heating elements, wire means connecting said heating elements with said electronic means for the purpose of supplying power to said heating elements and an electric fan for cooling said electornic means, the improvement which comprises:
- heatable means inductively heated by the passage of current through said wire means and located adjacent to said wire means intermediate said electronic means and said heating elements,
- temperature sensing means including a sensing element located adjacent to said heatable means, and
- switch means responsive to said temperature sensing means for controlling the operation of said electric fan independently of the operation of said heating elements and at a variable speed proportional to the degree of induction heating of said heatable means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.